Filter Focused ~ Are We Smudging Ourselves Out?
Photo by Cristina Zaragoza
I’ve always loved photography. Some of the best cameras are those which boast uber megapixels, pinpoint accuracy and perfect autofocus capabilities. We live in this strange world that wants to see things crystal-clear with high-definition and maximum resolution. Then, we download the images to photo apps which are geared to blur, lighten, soften and obscure our imperfections through countless filter options. (My personal favorites are Sierra and Valencia because they tone down the redness in my complexion. But I digress!)
What is it that makes our society so filter-centric? Photo filter apps like Instagram, Facetune, and Perfect Me are designed to adjust sharpness, proportion, and clarity. We learn very quickly how to morph and modify ourselves to appear acceptable. We practice our smiles and expressions, research our best angles, and adeptly tweak proportions and shadows to present ourselves in what we have been taught is the “best light.”
This pressure to conform to the filter-enhanced concept of beauty has taken a tremendous toll on the wellbeing of our society. Young people in particular are increasingly at risk of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation as a result of the pressures of social media and the need to look and be a certain way. However, even mature adults are susceptible to the risks of the “compare and despair” syndrome of social media. How can we compete with the perfect bodies, idyllic romances, and glamorous lives portrayed through the filtered lens of social media?
What is our aversion to sharpness and clarity? What makes people so reticent to show the clear, focused, true version of themselves? Does it feel too real? Too harsh? Too vulnerable? Clarity —seeing ourselves or our situation clearly— can be intimidating. It might evoke stark realizations or the need for change. It can feel overwhelming or threatening like an unknown abyss. It can leave us feeling exposed and uncertain.
The pandemic offered us a unique opportunity for intimacy. Suddenly, we found ourselves in the homes of nightly talk show hosts and news anchors. We found solace in one another through the shared experience of quarantine, which allowed us this rare and fleeting glimpse into each other’s humanity—fear, uncertainty, confusion, and imperfection. Ironically, our return to reality (e.g. the office, school, or sound stage) coincides with the return to our public personas.
The ways we filter ourselves go beyond the blemishes, wrinkles and extra pounds. We also find ways to blur our beliefs and values, smudge out our fears and insecurities, and obscure the truth of who we are. Our aversion to our true self results in diversions (i.e. addictions, compulsions, etc.) which distract us from our discomfort and dis-ease. We hide our insecurities with our nightly glasses of wine, our loneliness by scrolling social media, and our anxieties by indulging in Ben & Jerry’s, Amazon and/or MineCraft. (But enough of the self-disclosure!)
We have developed psychological filters as well as photo/physical filters. We seem to prefer blurriness to clarity, filters to focus, and obscurity to truth. We avoid looking too closely at ourselves and shy away from the gaze of others as well. This is not only true for those with attachment disorders, which has garnered significant attention in the world of pop-psychology. This is true for anyone who doesn’t want to be rejected, judged, criticized, or misunderstood, especially when the critic is ourselves or someone we love.
It can be scary to look in the mirror and see someone we don’t recognize or don’t want to accept reflected back at us. When we live in the shadows or some morphed version of our true self, we lose sight of who we are. Even worse, we lose trust in who we truly are.
It’s no secret that perfection is elusive. Filters may soften or dim our imperfections, flaws and faults, and we can utilize them with discernment. However, we must also remember the importance of high-resolution focus and clarity to guide us toward our deepest sense of authenticity.